Monday, July 23, 2012

Robbery: From foot doctors to As seen on TV products... they'll take your money and run!

I got robbed today.

By a podiatrist, of all people. AKA a man who plays with feet for a living.

Now, no disrespect to podiatrists. My dad was a podiatrist and he made a great living and provided well for his family of eight children. I never wanted for anything in the world. (Except for maybe a little peace & quiet around the house and a bigger chest.)

For four years in high school, I even worked in my dad's office- sweeping up toenails, filing charts, and watching in horror as he fixed people's ingrown toenails. I have all the respect in the world for podiatrists.

Except for this one.

I went to this podiatrist today because I have a condition known as burning, hot feet that has been plaguing me for months. I finally manned up and made myself go to get it checked out. Now, my normal doctor's co-pay is 20 bones, but the receptionist made me pay $35.00 because apparently podiatrists are "specialists" and that is what the specialists charge. Again, no disrespect to the foot doctor, but podiatrists, YOU ARE NOT SPECIALISTS. You are doctors. Just like all the other doctors. You didn't go to more school or less school than then other doctors so take your $20 co-pay and be happy with it!

After I went back into the room the podiatrist came on in. I told him my feet were hot. He gave me two creams and told me to try them and come back in two weeks if my feet are still hot. Then he left the room. I took the creams and made a beeline for the door before the receptionist caught on, "Oh, I'm sorry you have to pay for those."
"My insurance doesn't cover it?"
"No... I'm sorry it doesn't."
Worthless health insurance. I blame this on you, Jordan School District.
"How much is it?"
"It's 15.00 a bottle."

And so I wrote another check, this time for $30.00, but you better believe I threw in a sassy look to the receptionist that said, "I am not happy about this! NOT HAPPY!"

That my friends, is $65.00 for an eight minute visit to a doctor who told me to try a couple of bottles of lotions.

And yet, somehow telling you all this has made me feel so much better about the whole situation.

And now, for someone who actually has something NICE and UPLIFTING to say for today, I present to you Shane. Shane's got it all when it comes to blogging- sass, style, and all the link ups your little heart could ever want. If you haven't checked out her blog, you need to. I especially love her Secrets on a Sunday thread. It's the perfect way to vent anonymously. Perfect, I tell you!

My own mother has fallen victim to many of these products, easily swayed by anything marketed by Oprah, claiming to contain healthy antioxidants, or labeled with the words 'anti-aging.' Since the launch of the infamous Snuggie, there have been several other laughable products that just get you wondering, who the hell buys this stuff? (Shane you better hope my mom doesn't read this! She'll be disappointed in you for saying the h word!)

Bump-Its: My sister and I recieved these in our stockings from Santa 2 years ago (thanks mom). Even Snooki hates the Bump-It trend. I mean come on, who wants a little plastic arch peaking out from underneath their hair? And when you're in the moment with that special someone, it may come as a shocker when they tousle your hair and find this creature.

Gyro Bowl: The point of this being? I've got an idea, lets pay $14.99 plus $9.99 shipping for a piece of plastic so our children will be entertained as they eat! And who thinks it's a good idea to put pudding in this 360 contraption to turn upside down over your head?

Turbie Twist: Okay so I admit, I do own 3 of these, in a variety of colors (thanks mom). They are quite handy, especially for dorm life. Instead of wrapping a huge towel around your head that will ineveitably fall off, this invention makes that walk down the hallway simpler, scratching maybe a few seconds off your daily routine. A towel in the shape of a turban? They could have thought of a more politically correct name for the product, I must say.

Cami-Secret: The before and after appear to be switched. "Gives the layered look of a camisole, without the hassle or bulk of an entirely separate garment" I've got a fab idea, lets sell a tiny piece of fabric to cover you up! I mean, have you ever thought about how tough life must be for your neighborhood hoochie? She loves to flash her cleavage at bars and clubs, but must keep it business professional around the office. She could bring a change of clothes, but that gets cumbersome to lug around everyday. This boob apron works wonders, I'm sure.

Easy Feet: A shower for your feet! Could mankind get any lazier if we tried?

Pajama jeans: Not gonna lie, these would be a good investment for college kids ready to pass out when they stumble in at 3am and opt not to change into pj's, take off makeup, or brush their teeth. Yet as a Miami University student, it's not socially acceptable to wear jeans out on the town. Even if it's 32 below in the dead of winter, skimpy dresses are a must. So we run into a problemo. And at $30 a pop, that's as much as I'd pay for real un-hideous jeans. Forget it!

Booty Pop: Woah, a push-up bra for you butt?! I, myself could benefit from these (thanks for the advice mom). I've heard horror stories about women dancing up on men and the pads scootching to the front. Can you say creepy? They're a no go.

Shake Weight: If you use one of these and you're a man, I'm shaking my head. Why waste the money when you've got your own? And if you're a woman shaker, men will ineveitably raise eyebrows... and assess your skill level. Come on women, let's keep things PG in the exercise arena. And honestly, how big are your muscles truly gonna get with this mechanism? If anyone's tested, I'm dying to know.

Tiddy Bear: The ad features 2 chicks obviously frustrated with the lack of furry stimulation to their upper torso who claim "seatbelts make it hard for them to breathe" Instead of investing in a ribcage implant to provide the protection their internal organs so desperately need, she opted for the Tiddy Bear. The reality: Who would find an irregularly shaped bear comfortable? And what kind of person would wear that monstrosity proudly on their chest, except maybe your 3 year old? I really hoped they were kidding about this one...

Seriously, who comes up with this stuff? Young Einsteins in the making. And last but certainly not least:

Animee: A new beer specifically for the ladies! A “less gassy and lighter tasting” alternative to conventional beers, it comes in three varieties: standard, rose and citrus. I hope the men at the table aren't immasculated when I start pouring this stuff into the red solo cups. Hey maybe it'll be the wave of the future in alcoholism. I'm sold!

I mean who comes up with this stuff? And better yet, who falls for it? Mhmm mom, you're embarasssing.

OH my gosh! Booty Pop and Shake Weight! I laugh so hard whenever I see a commercial for these because I know people have them! Plus, the booty pop reminds me of that episode of America's Next Top Model, where there had to wear these things lol

I'm sorry you had a bad experience at the Podiatrist, who in fact is a specialist since all they do is deal with feet. Just like an Orthopedic Surgeon, Cardiac Surgeon and so on are also specialists. I wouldn't trust my OB/GYN (specialist) to perform anything but obstetric or gynecologic procedures just as you wouldn't want a cardiac surgeon doing a hip replacement. Your insurance company is the one that sets the co-pays, not the specialist. It's also not the receptionists fault that your insurance doesn't cover the medicated creams, I'm sure she loves getting dirty looks from people when she's just doing her job. I hope the creams work for you , I'd say $65 dollars for your trip is a small price to pay, especially if you get some relief from your burning feet. Please stick to happy posts!

Alot of what Erin said - anything other than your PCP is going to be considered a 'specialist' and with some plans, if you don't get a referral from your primary doctor, your insurance company won't cover the cost of a visit to any other doctor. (We've learned this fact the hard way.)

And yes, sometimes prescriptions aren't covered by insurance or they tack such a high copay on them that it's hard to afford them. I have learned to ask if we can get samples (free!) and I always make sure that the doctor writes the prescription so that we can get a generic drug, if available, to cut down on the cost of the co-pay.

That said, another doctor's office might have handled the visit and the topic of what you owed a little better perhaps.

I agree that doctors are expensive. I even have good insurance, thank the lord, and would have had to shell out over 40k when I got sick. And then that didn't include the visits after the hospital and you meet with them for like 3 minutes. Craziness.

I love your As Seen On TV bits too...so funny! I don't get why people would pay for that stuff...seriously I don't.

I agree that doctors are expensive. I even have good insurance, thank the lord, and would have had to shell out over 40k when I got sick. And then that didn't include the visits after the hospital and you meet with them for like 3 minutes. Craziness.

I love your As Seen On TV bits too...so funny! I don't get why people would pay for that stuff...seriously I don't.

Carrie said, some fabulous products I saw from here and knew lots of things about this. Although I have seen on tv but from here I knew in details as well. So very interesting entire things and thanks for sharing all the tv products. Keep well and best of luck.